My PERFECT Guitar Set Up! Answering FAQs About Charvel Guitars

In this video, I answer your questions about my guitar set up, more specifically my Charvel Guitars. I discuss my preferences regarding string action, string gauge and Floyd Rose/ restringing techniques. I tend to leave guitars as stock and not fiddle with them, why try to mend something that's not broken?
Guitar: www.charvel.com/
Amp: uk.yamaha.com/en/products/mus...
I’m a guitarist from the UK, completely self-taught and have been playing since I was 12. I play Hard Rock including AC/DC, Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne and more modern influences including Alter Bridge and Steel Panther.
I graduated with a First Class (BA Hons) Music Business Degree from the University of Sussex, studied it at BIMM Manchester.
At uni, I helped arrange a masterclass for Ozzy Osbourne/Firewind guitarist Gus G and played an important part in the preparations for a Guthrie Govan clinic. Personal highlights of mine include playing on stage with Steel Panther in January 2018 and when I got the opportunity to spend the day with Steve Vai on his Passion and Warfare Anniversary Tour.
Since launching the channel properly in 2015, I am very pleased to have received positive comments from Sam Coulson (Asia), Michael Starr (Steel Panther), Rick Graham, Henning Basse (Firewind Lead Vocalist) and other notable figures in the guitar world.
I teach subscribers complex rock licks, provide other tuition videos and demonstrate exciting kit and equipment for shops such as RichTone Music in Sheffield, Sounds Great Music in Cheadle.
I’m a connoisseur of fine guitars and I am very proud to be known on KZbin for being a user of Charvel Guitars, Yamaha THR amps, EVH Gear and Stormshadow Guitarworks.
Instagram: @guitarmancam

[@RC32Smiths01]

Ahh really substantiated video my man! Interesting and amazing setup indeed!

[@Bad_Phil]

I agree with the medium-low setup.Back in the 90's I used tricked out Ibanez RG550's, and found I was limited to being able to play only that. The action was so low and easy, that I literally couldn't play a standard set up guitar.Since about 2010 I've moved on to ESP builds with a medium-low action and can pretty much take on most guitars handed to me. I find this really very handy for those times I'm asked to play in an impromptu fashion with other people's gear. \m/

[@stephenaronhalt8563]

Excellent informatio! Thanks for sharing! !

[@HeyLiem]

I like your phrase, "Dive Only!" I had my local guitar shop customize my guitar like that about 30 years ago, with my 1987 Fender Strat Plus, it stays in tune great, while I still have the option to Dive Only. I figure that if I want to raise the pitch I can just bend the strings, of course, like what I think you are saying. I feel validated by hearing you say something exact or similar today. I personally never used the whammy bar much, but a Strat just looks lame without the whammy bar on it, IMHO. Thanks for all of your KZbin videos, they are very inspiring for an older player like me, you have a great enthusiasm that makes me feel like playing my guitar more.

[@identificador1952]

Thanks i have my new San Dimas Charvel from México LH left ,,,thanks your videos help me for choice , im very happy 🙌🙌🙌

[@Greg-rd8qr]

Wicked end solo! Thanks

[@stanislavmigra]

I was expecting you to like super low action (for taping and so on), glad there are still people who prefer higher string action ... And also 9-42 gauge strings on 25,5 scale :)

[@reignsebastian454]

bro ive been trying to do descending tapping with regular action height (on my stock schecter diamond series hellraiser c-1) and its absolute hell...

[@JesseLeeKing]

Yeah this charvel is the 1st guitar I've owned with a floyd rose, I mostly played my American standard strat with a traditional trem or hardtail forever.

[@CHOPERUS23]

Hey Cam, how do you prefer to set the springs? Straight or angled? Using 9's tuned to E flat.

[@robertm.1098]

I just bought the do hsh and I can’t get rid of fret buzz specifically on the low E 5th fret and below. I adjusted action and noticed small fret rock after the 5th fret. One fret was slightly lower. Would this be the issue?

[@HeyLiem]

Cameron, have you ever tried the Charvel DK24 guitars, with 24 frets? I am thinking of buying one. It would be my first Charvel, (inspired by your KZbin lessons and demonstrations, thanks)! I am wondering if you might find the extra frets harder to play, or if the harmonics are still good or bad when tapping on the extra frets? Is it interesting to have the extra frets, or not much added playing value to have the extra frets? Do you have any insights on the DK24 Charvels?

[@jd7613]

Hey Cameron, can you lower the height of the middle pickup in a HSH DK24?

[@destroso]

I bought a MIJ San dimas thanks to you, best guitar I’ve ever played. The bridge was so high it was practically floating. Found a shim in the neck and removed it. Still can’t get bridge flush as the pickups are too high and I can’t lower them, I think the action was too low also. I ended up just blocking the term in the cavity with a stack of coins.

[@outdoorsanimalsandmusic3014]

Frank Destroso you can’t lower them? What. That’s strange. This guy probably needs the green guitar intonated

[@yonikup2865]

Cameron thanks for the video! But any chance you can take a picture of your guitar with the medium action from the side so we can see the hight of the strings against the fretboard? That would be amazing, thank you!

[@CameronCooper]

Yoni Kup I tried but a photo didn't give an accurate representation of how a medium action aids my playing. I thought it was easier to scrap it and try and describe my preferred action in a way that virtually every guitarist could relate to hence the Nylon strung and Ibanez comparison

[@yonikup2865]

Cameron Cooper 👍

[@patrickshannon5856]

Oh don't get me wrong here they are great but the price is a little up there. For what you can get out of Ibanez and Jackson guitars I'll just take one of them instead. But I never played a Charvel. I always stuck to Jackson dinky or Ibanez. Never could get a Charvel cheap enough.But I always wanted one.

[@tomthumb1769]

You can still put a d tuna on a floating bridge Checkout Fu tone I have one on my charvel it works perfectly. Keep the good playing going

[@CameronCooper]

Juan Kerr My Stormshadow DBX has FU TONE hardware it's awesome!

[@JesseLeeKing]

Lol my white Jackson phil demmil demolition fury with emgs has 10s on it too but my other guitars have 9s. Same thing I just grew up using them I've used 60 m picks for the longest time which know Eddie van Halen used 60 too. Dave mustaine uses 73 lol I've been using different picks lately and I got the purple gravity one I started really liking its 1.0 I think.

[@Xzvsc]

I have japan made san dimas. It has many buzz in Frett. Can you give me the standard measure for string to freet in some posisition? Ex, in 12th, 6th fret etc. Sorry my bad English

[@jamesmiller9823]

You might need to have your truss rod adjusted, if that doesn't work you might need some of the frets leveled. Hope this helps some since no one else answered your question

[@CHOPERUS23]

Doesn't getting under the strings when bending apply to jumbo frets? You couldn't get under when having low or medium frets.

[@CameronCooper]

I can get under the strings just fine with this set up. 😊

[@JesseLeeKing]

I think people would love to know what your favorite pick gauge to use is too and what brand or kinda pick do you use?

[@Rossdink]

How do you get it to dive only? The two point screws or adjust the springs in the back

[@CameronCooper]

It isn't dive only, it's fully floating

[@ripperthecrooks6428]

so when the strings buzz a little, when playing is this typically resolved by just unscrewing the floyd rose higher ? Im havin this issues on an 89' 350 deluxe.

[@CameronCooper]

Yes that's right. I raise the action so there's no buzz at all

[@libertyfreedom380]

🤘

[@PittPenguin]

Hi Cam, hope you’re well buddy. Just wondering, being a Charvel fan if you’re familiar with/played any RATT songs at all? Be great to see a few vids covering work by Warren DiMartini

[@CameronCooper]

Hi Simon. Thanks for your comment! I've never really listened to RATT so I can't say I've learned any of their riffs. 'Lay It Down' I enjoyed but never bothered learning it. I think with a lot of the glam metal bands such as RATT, Dokken etc they were never that big in the UK and I never listened to that stuff as a kid. I grew up on U2 and girl pop!

[@PittPenguin]

Cameron Cooper if you can skip through each song, of their first 5 albums, they’ve some seriously tasty riffs and licks that sound absolutely awesome...

[@bluematrix5001]

Hi, I have an issue with my brand new DK24 HH(arrived today) , when I pick the first string that string sounds Very sensitive and produces a hi pitched sound as soonest the pick touches the strings, even with very soft picking... it is noticeable the way how the first string sounds comparing to the others....anybody knows what can be??? is a piercing sound... only with the bridge pickup

[@croslowj]

Same issue here ,your not alone. Its in the setup thats for sure

[@viking2304]

Hope you guys got the issue fixed already.. I had the same issue with mine.. the cavity on the nut needed a little filing and it fixed it perfectly

[@bluematrix5001]

@@viking2304 sold it.... got very dissapointed

[@ghyslainouellet8841]

Anyone notice trem noise and vibrations on their San Dimas especially when playing it unplugged.Seems to be a common issue.

[@paultinajero9733]

What strings caliber your use?

[@antoniojss]

What about the amps?

[@paco5735]

Hello, how do you do with a Floyd rose to make Unison bend sounds in tune? Thank you.

[@CameronCooper]

I'm not really sure how I do it, I just can somehow.

[@paco5735]

@@CameronCooper Thank you

[@RJManeri1]

So i went to the store today and played a brand new charvel just like in this video.It was soo horrible to play i gave up and left the store disappointed.What was i missing in this guitar? I have seen many videos of this guitar and they all sound friggin fantastic.How come it was totally the opposite for me?

[@Rossdink]

Steve Stiffler either a shitty set up or you were plugged in the wrong amp with the wrong distortion or no distortion, I wonder how they sound clean

[@willman100]

Great Videos. How many springs do you use on your Floyd’s? I know the EVH are setup with two. On the Charvel’s do you set them straight or in a V shape? Thanks

[@marc8vino]

Another Great video! Thanks. I might have missed it but I know you use to record sound and video with the camera...are you still recording your audio with the camera mics? Do you use the USB to recording software?

[@CameronCooper]

marc8vino I have been using Cubase 6.0 to record audio for just over a year now. I've never looked back. ;)

[@MrStickman666]

Do you prefer set necks to bolt on. I have a distaste for bolt on necks i guess it reminds me of cheaper guitars. well what is your taste. keep on rockin across the pond. CANADA ROCKER!

[@CameronCooper]

I don't mind either way but generally prefer bolt on because you can take it apart and adjust things easily if you ever need to. I can access upper fret on a bold on easily so I don't really feel a huge difference between bolt on and set neck anyway

[@fordhammie]

Great rig! May I have the setup specs for this model please? Thx

[@CameronCooper]

Setup specs? I did a review of this guitar which is on this channel if that's what you need?

[@fordhammie]

@@CameronCooper I'll chk it out thx... I found out that a standard Fender setup works well with this Charvel. I'll try it today, even though I did adust the claw & it got the rig into a very playable state...

[@CameronCooper]

Not really sure what a Fender setup is but since Charvel are owned and made by Fender, it naturally would suit that set up.

[@tadejsusta]

do you ever miss not having a 24 fret neck?

[@CameronCooper]

Tadej Sustarsic I do miss it for some things because having a 24th fret is really useful for certain melodic bends and tapping ideas.

[@deadmoviestar.]

What color is that exactly?

[@CameronCooper]

Tetsuo Galindo Neon Yellow discontinued now though

[@deadmoviestar.]

Cameron Cooper :(

[@jerryb3486]

Not sad faced Tetsuo just picked one up online for a steal. If you want one that color be patient and one will come up eventually. I waited maybe 6 months.

[@hadleymanmusic]

Now that used to be an inside joke about what church we went to.

[@ozi76]

Hardtail ftw!

[@CameronCooper]

ozi76 I'm either a Floyd Rose or hardtail kinda guy. Love both!!

[@bestboy897]

Floyd roses can really be a pain in the butt sometimes.

[@patrickshannon5856]

They are great but other factors like changing the strings takes longer and the chrome ones really take a beating with rust problems.

[@CHOPERUS23]

They aren't that bad, not as easy to change as a fixed bridge obviously but overall only about 10 minutes longer. Intonation is a bit more fiddly to set and not as accurate as a fixed bridge as you typically only have 3 positions per string to use and an Ibanez/Fender style fixed bridge has all the positions determined by the length of screw used.

[@tenacious6997]

ที่ไทย ราคาเป็นแสน

[@hadleymanmusic]

I like flush i had an ibenhad that had a aluminum licensed floyd that floated. That guitar felt like a " plastic toy" You know back in 79 80 charvel was the zakk bullseye

[@davidepannone6021]

not to talk shit, but if "what is your action" is a question you literally get ask under every video, you honestly answered in the worst way possible. What the hell even is medium. I don't believe for a second you don't have an action ruler to quickly check your actual action.

[@CameronCooper]

I agree it's not the best answer but I don't have an action ruler. Nor am I getting one just to provide stats 😂 all my guitars are different so couldn't give a definitive figure anyway. Plus I don't tend set anything up, I just leave it unless it either buzzes or the action is so high the intonation is out. Some people seem to assume that there's a magic set up or specific action that I have to use but there just isn't. My best advice would be to go with what feels right to you and forget what I prefer.

[@davidepannone6021]

@@CameronCooper and on the "there is no magical set up, each one would have it's own" we agree. but again, if you used to get that question asked so often, you in my opinion should've gone more into details about it. I understand you don't measure it, but when you do "my PERFECT guitar set up" video and then you don't give specific settings, it feels like you're taking the piss. You could've easily take a b shot of your guitar neck to at least show how high or low your action is, just to give your user base a general idea. Hope i made my pov clear, as i prefaced my original comment, it wasn't written just to talk shit.

[@CameronCooper]

I agree with you I could've answered this way better but this video is old now. If I answered the question again I would have done it differently.

[@JohnSmith-cg2fh]

The only thing more trite than quoting someone else , actually IS Will Smith .